Heidi Klum is set to return to the judges' table on America's Got Talent, filling in for Simon Cowell during a special three-hour broadcast of the Season 21 quarterfinals next week. Cowell has stepped away from the NBC talent show to recover from back surgery, a routine procedure linked to the serious e-bike accident he suffered in August 2020 that caused a complex spinal injury and lengthy rehabilitation. Klum's stand-in stint continues a pattern of former judges rallying to cover Cowell's absence.

Klum previously judged AGT from 2013 to 2018 and again from 2020 to 2024, leaving the panel last year after being invited back to host Project Runway for Freeform and Disney+. Her return follows fellow ex-judge Kenan Thompson, who covered Cowell's seat this week, having also filled in during Season 15 in 2020 when Cowell was likewise absent due to his e-bike injury.